 
peter's wars cost russia a fortune. 
to pay for them, the government placed a tax on everything imaginable, 
mustaches, beards, hats, books, cucumbers, salt, and other things. 
most important was the poll tax on all "male souls." 
this meant that every man had to pay the government a tax just for being 
alive. 
since the privileged (rich) classes did not have to pay the poll tax, the 
poor peasants were left to pay for all the costs. 
peter's methods of bringing about reform were extremely cruel. 
the tsar did not hesitate to use force to change russia. 
those who suffered most were the poor. 
beggars and criminals were rounded up and sent to work in factories where 
they had to remain permanently. 
in working on the gigantic public projects, such as the construction of 
the baltic fleet and the new capital of st.[petersburg, thousands died from 
cold, hunger and disease. 
russian soldiers, poorly dressed and poorly armed, often went to battle 
without supplies or pay and died by the thousands. 
those who opposed peter were tortured and executed. 
catherine the great, who ruled russia from 1762 to 1796, was a remarkable 
woman in many ways. 
like peter she had two aims: to bring european culture to russia and to 
make russia powerful. 
catherine showed great ability in running the russian government, but many 
of her enlightened ideas about reforming (changing) russia were never really 
put into practice. 
catherine's chief claim to fame was in the field of foreign policy. 
under her rule the area of russia increased by 200,000 square miles. 
